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No. 28 





ah? 
FOUR MEDALLIONS FROM THE 
ARRAS HOARD 


~ 
By AGNES BALDWIN [3ncu... 


THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY 
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NEW YORK 
1926 


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Mee Tr SMA T IC 
NOTES AND MONOGRAPHS 


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No longer the property of 
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FOUR MEDALLIONS FROM THE 
ARRAS HOARD 


Bix) 


AGNES BALDWIN Rpt. 





THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY 
BROADWAY AT I50TH STREET 
NEW YORK 
1926 


COPYRIGHT 1926 BY 


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PANDICK PRESS, INC., NEW YORK 


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LIBRARY 


AINIS ¢ YWMoe 0. i. Spt 


pee § LO ATR D 


FOUR MEDALLIONS FROM THE 
ARRAS HOARD 


By AGNES BALDWIN 





The following four medallions from 
the remarkable hoard found at Beaurains- 
lez-Arras in 1922 are additions to the 
nine published in Arethuse, January, 
1924. They include two medallions with 
associated or double portraits of mem- 
bers of the first tetrarchy of Diocletianus 
(Pls. i, iv) which are unique and un- 
published,! and two of Constantius 
Chlorus. One of the latter (PI. iii) isa 
second example? of the medallion of Con- 


stantius illustrated in Arethuse, PI. 


viii, 7, while the other is a unique piece 
and has already been published by Mr. 
M. Schulman.? Besides these four 
medallions from the hoard which are 
now in this country, a fifth piece is 


{known to be in the cabinet of an Ameri- 











hMUvers hrc NOTES 











FOUR MEDALLITOR: 





can collector. How many more there 
were originally in the hoard is not now 
known, since the workmen who discov- 
ered it while digging in a clay deposit 
made away with a considerable portion 
of the medallions and aurei,* of which a 
part only was subsequently recovered. 
Rumor carries the number of medallions 
found, to as high a figure as fifty. It 
is even reported that several of them 
were shown to a dealer in Ghent, who 
melted them up, believing them to be 
spurious. Thus the hoard was not exam- 
ined and studied intact. 

According to M. Duquenoy, Curator of 
the Arras Museum, the treasure was 
buried in two vases—one of silver, of 
which fragments have been recovered, 
and the other of clay. The silver vase 
was presumably contained within the clay 
pot.© It is suggested by M. Duquénoy 
that the hoard was perhaps stolen in an- 
cient times and buried in the clay deposit 
at Beaurains-lez-Arras, as there are no 
traces of walls or buildings indicating an 
ancient settlement at the find spot. Most 








NUMISMATIC. Gi 








meen HO AR D 





Fig. 1 


AND MONOGRAPHS 











FOUR MEDAL TO ] 





of the gold coins and medallions are dis- 
colored with a dull, silverish coating, 
probably due to chemical reaction of the 
aluminum constituent of the clay soil in 
which they long lay buried. 

The thirteen medallions thus far 
known were issued by the following 
emperors: Diocletianus (2) ; Maximianus 
Herculius (1); Constantius Chlorus (7) ; 
Constantius and Galerius Maximianus 
(1); Diocletianus, Herculius, Constan- 
tius and Galerius (1); Constantinus I 
Magnus (1). 7 

The latest medallion is that of Con- 
stantine the Great as Augustus with the 
PRINCIPI IUVENTUTIS reverse from the 
mint of Tréves, Fig. 1. The gold unit 
which was struck contemporaneously with 
this medallion is the coin shown in Fig. 2.6 
The reverse type, figure of Constantine 
in military dress and cloak, standing to 
r. with spear and globe, the inscription, 
PRINCIPI IUVENTUTIS, and the mint-mark 
pTR Percussa Trevirorum are identical 
with those of the medallion; while the 
obverse differs only in bearing the 














NUMISMA TI Genie res 








ARRAS HOARD | 5 





head laureate instead of the bust laureate, 
draped, with cuirass, as on the medal- 
lion, and a briefer inscription. This 
coin, which was in the hoard, is a solidus, 
and hence cannot be earlier than 309-310, 





when a monetary reform was effected by 
Constantine through the substitution of 
the solidus of c. 4.55 gr., or seventy-two 
to the gold pound, for the aureus weigh- 
ing c. 5.45 gr., or sixty to the pound. 
According to Maurice, it belongs to the 
third issue of the Tréves mint, namely to 
the period between May, 309, date of the 
recognition of Constantine and Maxi- 
minus II Daza as Augusti by Galerius, 
and June, 313, date of the death of Daza. 
Another example of this type of solidus 
was present in the hoard, of slightly dif- 
ferent reverse die.‘ Another solidus of 





Ney MONOGRAPHS 














6 








FOUR. MEDAIAaOn 














Constantine, Fig, 3, with reverse type, 
three military standards, and inscription 
Ss. P. Q. R. OPTIMO PRINCIPI, and mint- 
mark prtr® and obverse similar to the 
above piece was also in the hoard. This 
latter coin is classified by Maurice as 
belonging likewise to the third issue of 
Constantine at Tréves, 309-313. The re- 
verse inscription, Ss. P. Q. R. OPTIMO 
PRINCIPI, is explained by Maurice 
(Num. Const. I, 204, bronze coins of the 
Roman mint struck simultaneously for 
Constantine, Licinius and Maximinus 
Daza), as referring to the rapprochement 
of Constantine and the Roman Senate, 
after the defeat and death of Maxentius 
in the battle of the Mulvian bridge and 
the entry of Constantine into Rome on 
October 26, 312. On this occasion the 
Senate decreed to Constantine the titulus 
primi ordinis, or primi nominis titulus, 
namely, the right of placing his name 
at the head of the list of the August, 
and of legislating, which had previously 
belonged to Daza, who had refused to 
yield it to Constantine. This piece, then, 





NUMISMATIC NOTES 








Bowe FLO AR D 





if the above interpretation of its reverse 
inscription be correct, belongs toward the 
end of the period 309-313, and supplies 
us with a terminus post quem for the 
burial of the hoard, since there was no 





Hig; 3 


solidi of later date in the hoard. For the 
later issues of Constantine which are 
associated with the Arras hoard coins in 
fem hao oale, Cat}, April, 1923 (cf. 
Note 4), such as Nos. 443, 449, ff. (and, 
also, we are bound to conclude, No. 446, 
a dated piece of the fourth consulate, 315 
A. D., not illustrated) were not a part of 
the hoard, according to the testimony of 
those who examined it. Moreover, these 
later coins of Constantine in the Ratto 
Catalogue, chiefly of the periods 313-317, 
324-326 and 336-7, are quite common and 
are in a more worn condition than those 


SNe MONOGRAPHS 























8 FOUR MEDALITGR. 


issues of Constantine which are known 
to have been in the hoard and belong 
to the first part of his reign. Finally, 
the gap existing between the issues of 
Constantine’s earlier period and these late 
coins in the Ratto Catalogue makes it 
impossible to regard the latter group as 
part of the hoard. Of No. 447 in the 
Catalogue we have already spoken as an- 
other example of the solidus, Fig. 1. 
No. 448, an aureus of Constantine as 
Caesar, 306-308, was probably in the 
hoard. As to Nos. 444-445, we can 
safely conclude that they did not belong 
to it. The very rare aureus of Maxen- 
tius,? Ratto, No. 440, which is in mint 
condition, belongs to the period 309-312, 
and would, according to the above reason- 
ing, have been an issue previous to the 
Ss. P. Q. R. piece of Constantine. If we 
accept the date assigned to this latter 
coin by Maurice, the date of the deposit 
of the hoard should be given as about 
312-313. However, we should be inclined 
to date the hoard, aside from this par- 


ticular coin and the date assigned to it 


NUMISMATIC AO 














ARRAS HOARD 9 


by Maurice, rather in the middle of the 
period 309-312—or very soon after the 
introduction of the solidus in 309-310. 
The fact that there were only two or 
three solidi in the hoard, and that these 
are all specimens of Constantine’s earliest 
issues, points rather toward the middle 
than the very end of the period. The 
period during which the coins were 
hoarded, therefore, extends from 284, 
date of the accession of Diocletianus, to 
309-312, the same range as that of the 
medallions. The aurei of an_ earlier 
period, described below, represent a treas- 
ure of gold surviving from over a hun- 
dred years, which was in the possession 
of the owner (or owners) who formed 
the hoard during the last quarter of the 
Third Century and early part of the 
Fourth. Such are the conclusions which 
can be drawn from a study of this 
famous hoard under the present condi- 
tions. A rigorously scientific account of 
the hoard in its entirety cannot be given 
until more of the now scattered material 
becomes available, and a more complete 





AND MONOGRAPHS 











ee FOUR MEDAL. 


picture of the hoard can be thus con- 
structed. 

As to the general nature of the hoard, 
incomplete as it is, we are able to draw 
what seem to be sound inferences. It 
contained gold medallions and aurei (plus 
solidi) of the period from Diocletianus 
to Constantine the Great; many aurei of 
an earlier period—from the Antonines to 
Caracalla, some of which were set in 
mountings with attachments to be worn 
as pendants; and, in addition, silver 
denarii (forty-one were seen by the 
writer in Arras) chiefly of Constantine 
(type of Cohen, 706, rev., VIRTUS MILI- 
TUM and a fortified gateway, mint-mark 
PTR). Besides these coins, there were 
also objects of jewelry, gold necklaces, 
bracelets, a silver spoon, gems, a ring, a 
chain, etc. Thus the ensemble may be 
imagined to have been the property of 
some high civil functionary or military 
chief, or of his family, residing in Gaul. 
In all probability, it was the family 
treasure of some wealthy individual to 
whom some of the medallions were pre- 
































NUMISMATIO 3G 





ARRAS HOARD II 


sented as marks of distinction, rewards 
for political or military service. The 
coins in the hoard fall into two distinct 
groups: (1) the earlier aurci preserved 
as bullion, and as jewelry in frames 
(Hadrianus, Faustina Sr., Faustina Jr., 
Commodus, Caracalla, Julia Domna are 
among the mounted pieces seen by the 
writer) some of which show signs of 
considerable circulation, covering the 
period from about 118 to 211; (2) later 
aurei (and solidi) ranging from Diocle- 
tianus to Constantine whose condition 
varies from slightly worn to fine, bril- 
liant state, extending over the period 
284-312. 

As in the case of the medallions of the 
Helleville find,1® those from Arras are 
nearly all unique pieces, for these mul- 
tiple-awrei were struck as_ imperial 
largesses and were not issued in very 
large quantities. They are chiefly five 
and ten aurei pieces, all remarkably well 
preserved; some in mint state. There is 
no large medallion of Galerius Maxi- 
mianus, alone, which is quite in keeping 





AND MONOGRAPHS 





FOUR -MEDALTIE 





with the circumstance that the greater 
number of the medallions were struck at 
the Gallic mint, and that half at least 
were struck by Constantius Chlorus. The 
hoard, therefore, as far as we can judge, 
was formed within the restricted area of 
Constantius’ domain. 


CONSTANTIUS CHLORUS AND GALE- 
RIUS MAXIMIANUS, as Caesars, 
293-305 A. D. 


I. Obv. DD. NN. CONSTANTIO ET MAXI- 
MIANO NoBB. CAESS. D(ominis) N (ostris), 
Constantio et Maximiano, Nobilissimis 
Caesaribus, “To our lords, Constantius 
and Maximianus, most noble Caesars.” 
Half-length figures confronting of Con- 
stantius and Galerius Maximianus, heads 
laureate, wearing the imperial mantle; 
Constantius, on the left, holds a globe 
surmounted by a Victory in his right 
hand, while Galerius, on the right, holds 
a scepter surmounted by an eagle. 

Rev. PRINCIPVM IVVENTVTIS (Princi- 
pum iuventutis), “(Of) The First of the 
Knights”. The two Emperors standing 


NUMISMATIG VRS 








Ahr ~~ TLOARD 


in military dress with cloak, bareheaded, 
resting left arms on long, upright 
scepters,—each holding a patera, with 
which they are pouring a libation upon 
a tripod-altar placed between them; in 
the central background, two military 
standards; in the exergue, PROM (Per- 
cussa Romae), “Struck at Rome”. 

Gold Medallion. 10 aurei, or denio, 
38 mm. 54.27 gr. Unique and unpub- 
lished. Plate I. 

This unique medallion of Constantius 
Chlorus and Galerius Maximianus_ to- 
gether as Caesars, is one of the earliest 
medallions in the find, as is evidenced by 
its more worn condition as compared with 
that of the others. The occasion of its 
issue is perfectly clear from the obverse 
and reverse types and inscriptions. It 
was struck in 293, to commemorate the 
elevation of Constantius and Galerius to 
the rank of Caesars, PRINCIPES IUVEN- 
TutiIs. On the obverse, we have the por- 
trait busts of the two new associates in 
the empire of Diocletianus, clad in the 
imperial mantle and holding emblems of 





AND MONOGRAPHS 





14 


FOUR MEDAEREROT 


sovereignty, while on the reverse the two 
Emperors are represented as “taking the 
oath of office” at the tripod, according to 
the traditional type. 

Diocletianus ascended the throne in 
November, 284, and reigned alone until 
April, 285, when he associated with 
him Maximianus Herculius directly as 
Augustus without first having appointed 
him Caesar. On March 1, 293, he called 
to the rank of Caesars, Constantius and 
Galerius Maximianus, and just as Dio- 
cletianus was the first Augustus and 
Maximianus Herculius the second, so 
Constantius was the first Caesar in rank, 
and Galerius the second.!! Hence there 
is significance in the order of the names 
of the Caesars in the obverse inscrip- 
tion. Correspondingly, the portrait on 
the left is unquestionably to be identified 
as that of Constantius, the Caesar of 
senior rank. That this position of the 
senior in rank corresponding to his prior 
mention in the inscription running from 
left to right on medallions with confront- 
ing portraits was a regularly observed 


NUMISMATIC@NG 









































ARRAS 





PO Ak D 





convention, is borne out by other medal- 
lions of this type. On the medallion 
of Diocletianus and Maximianus Her- 
culius in Florence,?? the two Augusti are 
so placed in order of seniority, Diocle- 
tianus on the left and Herculius on the 
right. For, although the portraiture of 
this period is very conventional, Her- 
culius is here unmistakable on account 
of his prominent feature—a decidedly 
retroussé nose. On medallions struck by 
Constantine the Great, having as reverse 
types confronting busts of the Caesars, 
Crispus and Constantine, Jr.,15 and of 
Crispus and Constantius II,1!4 the fig- 
ure on the left in each case is that of 
Crispus. This is made evident, not by 
the portraiture, which is utterly conven- 
tional, but by the device of representing 
the senior in rank, Crispus, as of larger 
size than the juniors, who were, indeed 
so many years younger.!° 

Our medallion was struck at Rome and 
is the second one in the Arras find from 
this mint. For, the medallion of Diocle- 
tianus, Arethuse, Pl. viii, 3, although 





MND MaONOGRAPHS 





FOUR MEDAT 2 


without mint-mark, is probably a product 
of the Roman mint, according to its style. 
The flan, like that of the above mentioned 
denio of Diocletianus and Herculius in 
Florence, is smaller and thicker than those 
of the other deniones of the hoard,?® 
namely, the London medallion of Con- 
stantius, Arethuse, l. c., Pl. vii, and the 
medallion bearing the portraits of the 
four members of the first tetrarchy of 
Diocletianus (Plateiv). Of these two 
latter pieces, the London medallion is 
from the mint of Treéves, while the 
medallion of the tetrarchy bears no indi- 
cation of the place of issue, but from its 
style may be assigned to the Gallic mint. 

The gold units, or auret, corresponding 
to our multiple-piece of ten awrei are the 
coins struck by Constantius, Cohen, 233, 
and by Galerius, C. 178, var. On the for- 
mer piece, Fig. 4, the reverse type is 
that of the Emperor in military dress 
with cloak, bareheaded, standing to left 
holding a military standard in the right 
hand and resting on a long scepter with 
the left; the inscription, PRINCIPI 


NUMISMATT Cy 











ARRAS HOARD 17 





IUVENTUTIS, and mint-mark PROM are 
identical with those on the medallion. On 








the latter piece, Fig. 5, the reverse type 
is similar, but the Emperor is laureate, 
and the inscription is PRINCIPI IUVEN- 
tut. The obverses bear laureate heads, 
and the inscriptions, D N CoNsTaNnrTIo 





Fig. 5 


Cars and D N Maximi1ano Cages, thus 
corresponding perfectly with the inscrip- 
tion on our denio of Constantius and 
|\Galerius, which is also in the dative case. | 
Thus we have in these coins the units 


Pees ONO GRA PHS 

















18 FOUR MEDATE Ge 








which were issued contemporaneously 
with the medallion, a correspondence 
demonstrated above in the case of the 
PRINCIPI IUVENTUTIS denio and solidus 
of Constantine. 

Other examples may be cited of medal- 
lions of which there exist different de- 
nominations in gold, as follows: the me- 
dallion of Diocletianus and Herculius 
above mentioned in Florence,1* a denio 
to which there is a_ corresponding 
quinio4®§ in Berlin; the medallion of Her- 
culius in Budapest,1® a quinio, with the 
reverse type of the two Emperors seated, 
facing, on curule chairs, each carrying a 
globe, crowned by Jupiter (?) on 1. 
and Hercules on r., with the inscription 
PERPETUA CONCORDIA AUGG. and mint- 
mark pr, for which there exist cor- 
responding qaurei struck by Diocletianus 
and Herculius?® with a slight modifica- 
tion in the type, the two Emperors seated 
to 1. on curule chairs, each carrying a 
globe and crowned by Victory, above and 
between them, with the inscription, Con- 
CORDIAE AUGG. NN. These auret are 


NUMISMATIC# Ye 












































ARRAS HOARD 19 


without mint-mark and are doubtless of 
the Roman mint as is the medallion.?} 
From the existence of these aurei of each 
Emperor, we should infer that a quinio 
of similar type to that of Herculius, 
though not now known, was also issued 
for Diocletianus. 

The quinio of Herculius just mentioned 
was issued in 293, therefore, in the same 
year,?2 as our medallion from Arras with 
the double portraits of Constantius and 
Galerius, the Caesars whose appointment 
it commemorates. The occasion for its 
issue was probably the celebration of the 
Decennalia of the two Augusti as may 
be inferred from the reverse type and in- 
scription. Thus, in the year 293 there 
were struck (1) our denio of the Caesars, 
commemorating the naming of the two 
new colleagues in the empire, and (2) 
presumably, two quiniones, one each of 
Diocletianus and MHerculius, the two 
Augusti, to recall the long-standing har- 
mony, perpetua concordia, existing be- 
tween them, and to express hopes for its 
continuance. 














AND 





MONOGRAPHS 











20 ( FOUR. MEDAL Gs 

























CONSTANTIUS CHLORUS, as. Caesar, 
293-305 A. D. 


2. Obv. FL. VAL. CONSTANTIVS NO- 
prtissimvs C. Fl(avius) Val(eriwus) 
Constantius, Nobilissimus C(aesar). 
Head of Constantius Chlorus to r., 
bearded, wearing the lion’s scalp as head- 
dress. 

Rev. Marti vicrort “To Mars Vic- 
tor”. Mars Victor advancing to r., wear- 
ing helmet and floating mantle, carrying 
a trophy over 1. shoulder and a spear 
transversely in r. hand; in the exergue, 
TR. 

Gold medallion. 5 aurei, or quinto. 
23 mm. 26.15 gr. Unique. Plate Il. 

This medallion was issued, as its ob- 
verse inscription tells us, while Constan- 
tius was still Caesar, hence, within the 
period 293-305. The reverse type quite 
plainly alludes to a military victory. M. 
Schulman (op. cit. note 3) refers the type 
to events of the year, 298, in which Con- 
stantius won a victory over the Alemanm 
who had invaded Gaul in the district of 











NUMISMATIC NG 





Mein, 1LOAR D 





the Lingones (Langres). However, the 
obverse type of this medallion connects 
it with another medallion of Constantius 
{from the Arras hoard bearing an identical 
head of Constantius in the lion’s scalp 


with a reverse depicting the Emperor), 


standing to r. in military dress, with 
spear, holding out his right hand to greet 
a kneeling female figure who holds spear 
and shield, while Victory at the left 
crowns the Emperor, Arethuse, Pl. 
vili, 6. This medallion is connected in 
turn by identical reverse type, Emperor 
and kneeling figure and Victory, with a 
third issue of Constantius, Arethuse, Pl. 
vill, 5, having as obverse type a_ bust 
of the Emperor in imperial mantle, hold- 
ing a scepter surmounted by an eagle. 
These three medallions are all of Con- 
stantius as Caesar, and are bound to- 
gether, all three, as strictly contempo- 
raneous issues by their interlinking ob- 
verse and reverse types, and their mint- 
marks. 

Hence the question arises whether it 


can be the victory over the Alemannt 


Seyi ONOGKAPHS 











21 








22 


FOUR MEDALLIONS 





















which occasioned the issue of this series 
of three medallions or some other and 
more conspicuous military success. Is it 
not more probable that these three me- 
dallions refer to the victory won by Con- 
stantius over Allectus in 296, and which 
was celebrated by the striking of the 
famous London medallion? This is the 
opinion of the authors of the article in 
Arethuse, who interpret the kneeling fig- 
ure as that of Britannia.?% 

The head of Constantius covered with 
the lion’s scalp of Hercules, is an en- 
tirely unique representation for this 
Emperor. It is not merely a servile imi- 
tation of the head-dress worn by the 
Emperor, Maximianus Herculius. The 
explanation is far more interesting. 
When Diocletianus and Maximianus, the 
Augusti, associated with themselves, the 
two new Caesars, Constantius and 
Galerius, the two elder Emperors each 
proceeded to found a divine imperial 
dynasty, and each adopted an heir into 
this new mythical family. Diocletianus 
took for himself the surname of Jovius, 


eee 


NUMISMATIC NOTES 








Pivonss t1 OAR D 


on 





and thereby established the Jovian 
dynasty, making Galerius his heir and 
successor, while Maximianus assumed the 
name of Hercurius, and founded the 
Herculian dynasty, adopting Constantius 
as his heir.24 Hence the lion’s scalp of 
the hero, Hercules, which sits so oddly 
on the aristocratic Roman head of Con- 
stantius Chlorus. 


CONSTANTIUS CHLORUS, as Augustus, 
305-306 A. D. 


3. Obv. IMP. CONSTANTIVS PIVS F. 
Avc. Imp(erator) Constantius Pius 
F(elix) Aug(ustus). Bust of Constan- 
tius, bearded and laureate to 1., wearing 
the imperial mantle, and holding in his 
right hand the scepter surmounted by an 
eagle. | 

Rev. TEMPORVM FELICITAS. “The 
Luck of the times”, or “The auspicious 
era”. Two figures standing, clad in the 
toga, each holding a volumen in the 1. 
hand and a patera in the r., with which 
they are pouring a libation upon a tripod- 


Pee NON OGRAPHS 














24 FOUR’ MEDALLIG NS 





altar placed between them, in front of 
a tetrastyle temple; on each side, a 
camillus, or noble youth, holding a palm; 
above the altar, a flute-player; in the 
background between the columns, heads 
of spectators; in the exergue, PTR. 

Gold medallion. 5 aurei, or quinio. 
32 mm. 21.35 gr. Second example known. 
Plate III. 

The similar medallion now in Arras, 
Arethuse, Pl. viii, 7, is from different 
obverse and reverse dies. 

This medallion was issued during the 
period, 305-306, for Constantius was not 
elevated to the rank of Augustus until 
May 1, 305, and he died on July 25, 306. 
The reverse type recalls the “Luck of the 
times” and has its prototype on bronze 
medallions of the reigns of Antoninus 
Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Phi- 
lippus, Jr., Philippus, Sr. 7° 

On certain of these pieces of Marcus 
Aurelius and Commodus, the inscriptions 
VoTA SUSCEPTA, VOTA PUBLICA, VOTA 
soLuTA show that this type depicts the 
ceremony of the celebration of the Vota 


NUMISMATICH RO. 














ARRAS HOARD 


festivals, the Quinquennalia or Decen- 
nalia, the five-year and ten-year anniver- 
saries of the reign.26 On the gold medal- 
lion of Diocletianus from our hoard, 
Arethuse, l. c. Pl. viii, 2, a similar type 
(without the temple and assistants) oc- 
curs with the inscription FELICITAS TEM- 
PORUM. ‘The piece was struck at Tréves 
in the eighth consulship of the Emperor, 
namely, in 303. As this was the year 
of the Vicennial festival of Diocle- 
tianus, 27 it would seem reasonable in view 
of the reverse type?’ to attribute the oc- 
casion of the issue of this dated medallion 
to the Vicennalia, or twentieth anniver- 
sary of his reign. Constantius’ medallion, 
on the other hand, could not have been 
issued simultaneously with that of Dio- 
cletianus just cited since, of course, he was 
not yet an Augustus in the year, 303. But 
as the reverses of both of these quiniones 
are similar, bearing as they do the same 
inscription and the traditional type which 
commemorates the Vota festivals, our 
medallion of Constantius probably refers 
to a similar event. As it was certainly 





AND MONOGRAPHS 








26 FOUR MEDATT 2... 





issued after May 1, 305, when Constan- 
tius and Galerius were raised to the rank 
of Augusti, through the abdication of 
Diocletianus and Herculius who retired 
to the rank of seniores Augusti, the two 
Emperors on the reverse are most nat- 
urally to be interpreted as Constantius 
and Galerius. The medallion may then 
have been struck to commemorate their 
appointment as Augusti in 305 while at 
the same time recalling their recent 
Decennial anniversary in 303. If this be 
correct, we should assume that a cor- 
responding medallion was also issued by 
Galerius. 29 To conclude, our medallion 
probably commemorates the appointment 
of Constantius as Augustus, and the 
two-Emperor type on the reverse sug- 
gests that a similar quinio may have been 
issued for Galerius in his domain. The 
medallion of Diocletianus, Arethuse, Pl. 
viii, 2, would already have been issued in 
303, and our reverse type was probably 
inspired by it. 

The obverse is by far the best por- 
trait of this Emperor known on coins or 


fee NUMISMATDICl Oa 














eRe), FLO AR D 








medallions. 





Constantius was the only 
member of the tetrarchy who was a lineal 
descendant of an ancient Roman family. 
His forebears were descended from 
Claudius II Gothicus in the female line, 
and his origin is vouched for by his deli- 
cate aristocratic profile with its strongly 
characterized Roman nose. Compare his 
portrait on our medallions,°° Nos. 2 and 
3, with that of his son, Constantine the 
Great, on the Arras medallion,*! Fig. 1, 
and note the long, aquiline noses, and 
then observe the decidedly plebeian fea- 
tures of Maximianus Herculius and Dio- 
cletianus on this same group of medal- 
lions.22. One gains from these new por- 
traits on the medallions from Arras of 
the Tréves mint, a much more vivid and 
doubtless more correct idea of the per- 
sonal appearance of both Constantius, who 
was so genuinely a Roman, and of his 
son, Constantine the Great, than from any 
of their medallion portraits hitherto 
known. Compare, for example, the gold 
medallion of Constantius struck at 
Siscia, Gnecchi, Pl. 5,.9, and the Arras 



























AND MONOGRAPHS 











= 28 



































FOUR MEDALIVG. 





medallion struck at Tarraco, Arethuse, 
Pl. viii, 8, neither of which can now be 
regarded as a faithful likeness. Constan- 
tius Chlorus, thus surnamed from his 
pale coloring, was of milder disposition 
than Maximianus Herculius, and this 
characteristic is especially reflected in the 
portrait on our medallion. He was be- 
tween sixty and seventy years old, when 
the medallion was issued. 


DIOCLETIANUS, MAXIMIANUS' HER- 
CULIUS, CONSTANTIUS Galan. 
AND GALERIUS MAXIMIANUS, 
293-305 A. D. 


4. Obv. DIOCLETIANVS AVG. ET MAX- 
IMIANVS C. Diocletianus Aug(ustus) et 
Maximianus C(aesar). Busts of Dio- 
cletianus (on the left) and Galerius Max- 
imianus (on the right), confronting, 
bearded and laureate, and wearing the 
imperial mantle. 

Rev. MAXIMIANVS AVG. ET CONSTAN- 
tivs c. Maximianus Aug(ustus) et Con- 
stantius C(aesar). Busts of Maximianus 


NUMISMATIC "NOG TEs 














fee LO APR D 





Herculius (on the left) and of Constan- 
tius Chlorus (on the right). Type simi- 
lar to obverse. 

Gold medallion. 10 aurei, or demio. 
42 mm. 54.40 gr. Unique and unpub- 
lished. Plate IV. 

This truly remarkable medallion pre- 
sents the four co-rulers of the first 
tetrarchy of Diocletianus, grouped not as 
pairs of Augusti and Caesares, but, as 
pairs, consisting each of an Augustus and 
a Caesar. Diocletianus and his adopted 
son and heir to the empire, Galerius 
Maximianus, occupy the obverse, while 
Maximianus Herculius and his adopted 
son and heir, Constantius Chlorus, appear 
on the reverse. 












There is no mint-name, but, as stated 
above, this medallion also was probably 
struck at Tréves as were the majority 
of those in the hoard. The medallion is 
struck on a much larger flan than the 
medallion of Constantius and Galerius, 
No. 1, which is of the same denomina- 
tion. To this circumstance, the broader 
flan enabling the artist to engrave upon 





Awe MONOGRAPHS 





30 


FOUR MEDALEIONS 


it heads on a much larger scale, is due 
the more medallic character of the piece. 
Furthermore, as both the obverse and re- 
verse are occupied by portrait busts and 
there is no exergual line, the medallic 
quality is still further heightened. 

The occasion for the issue of this piece, 
one feels convinced, must have been an 
extraordinary one. Does it then com- 
memorate the formation of the tetrarchy 
in 293? This would be perfectly in keep- 
ing with the subject matter of the me- 
dallion, which represents on each face, an 
Augustus paired with a Caesar. It must 
surely have been issued within the period 
Mar. 1, 293-May I, 305, after the acces- 
sion of Constantius and Galerius as 
Caesars, and before their elevation to the 
rank of Augusti upon the retirement of 
Diocletianus and Herculius to the posi- 
tion of seniores or honorary August. 

But is it not just as probable that the 
medallion was struck in 303, to com- 
memorate an event of even greater im- 
portance, the Vicennial anniversary or 
jubilee of the reign of the two August, 








NUMISMATIC@NOTES 






































ARRAS HOARD 


and the Decennial anniversary of the 
Caesars? This would certainly have been 
an occasion of signal importance which 
would call for the issue of a commemo- 
rative piece such as this. As far as the 
hoard in general is concerned, this date 
is perfectly in keeping, for the burial 
must have been as late as 309-312, the 
broad date of the issue of Constantine 
the Great’s medallion, Arethuse, Pl. viii, 
9, and it may possibly have been just 
following the end of this period, to judge 
from the presence in the hoard of the 
solidus of Constantine, Fig. 3, which, ac- 
cording to Maurice, was not struck before 
312-313. (See, however, above page 6.) 
Moreover, this medallion is in fresh, prac- 
tically mint condition. Hence the date, 
303, appears the more probable when we 
compare its condition with that of the 
medallion of Constantius and Galerius, 
No. 1, which was certainly struck in 293, 
and is by far the most worn of all the 
medallions here described. Of those still 
in Arras, only the medallion of Diocle- 
tianus, Arethuse, Pl. viii, 3, shows a 


Penden ONOGRA PIES 








a2 FOUR MEDAL 


similar degree of wear. Of course too 
much stress cannot be laid on the argu- 
ment as to condition in relation to me- 
dallions, for these commemorative pieces 
probably were very seldom circulated. 
Nevertheless, this difference of condition 
would incline us to place the medallion 
of the tetrarchy in the year of the dual 
anniversary of the Augusti and the 
Caesars, rather than in that of the forma- 
tion of the tetrarchy. 


























NUMISMATIC} NOEPES 








Pores HOARD 





NOTES 


1 Medallion, No. 1, may possibly not belong 
to the hoard. It is somewhat more worn than 
the other medallions, and has not the dis- 
coloration of the gold peculiar to the medallions 
and aurei of this find. It is from the mint of 
Rome, while most of the other medallions bear- 
ing a mint-mark are from the Tréves mint. 
There is, however, one other medallion in the 
hoard, which, though without a mint-mark is, 
according to its style, probably also from the 
Roman mint, Arethuse, Pl. viii, 3. Hence, 
the mint-mark alone does not constitute an 
objection to the inclusion of No. 1 in the 
hoard. Also, it was brought to this country 
with other medallions from Arras. 

2Cf. Naville Cat. XI, Pl. 38, 977. 

3 Jaarboek voor Muni en Penningkunde, 
1923, illus., p. 80. 

4The number of aurci is conjectured to have 
been upwards of three hundred. About eighty 
of them belonging to the period, Diocletianus 
to Constantine the Great, appeared in the 
Ratto Sale Cat., April, 1923 (Nos. 375 ff). 
About 130 aurei were seen at Arras by the 
writer, of which 87 were of the period of the 
Antonines. 

















AND MONOGRAPHS 

















FOUR MEDADL Tew 

































SIt is equally reasonable to suppose that 
the hoard was contained in the two vases sep- 
arately, for it was made up of two distinct 
lots, an earlier lot of aurci ranging from 
Hadrianus to Caracalla, and a later lot rang- 
ing from Diocletianus to Constantine the Great. 

6Cohen, 412; Maurice, Num. Constant. I, 
Di 309, ue 

TRatto Sale Cat., April, 1923. No. 447. 

8 Cohen, 556—Maurice, I, p. 4o1, xiv. 

9 Now Jameson Coll., Cat. III, No. 476. 

10 Rev. Num. 1906. 

11J, Maurice, Rev. Num. 1904, p. 74. 

12 Gnecchi, Med. Rom. Pl. 5, 1; Cohen, 43. 

13 Cohen, p. 320, No. 2. 

14Cohen, p. 321, No. 1. 

15 Crispus was born in 300, and Constan- 
tius II in 317. According to Maurice, Con- 
stantine, Jr. was born in 314. (Num. Const. 
ili, p. 190.) 

16The medallion of Constantine, Arethuse, 
Pl. viii, 9, is probably also to be reckoned 
as a denio of the solidus standard, as its weight, 
40.72 gr., though somewhat light, seems to 
class it as a ten-solidi piece. 

17 Gnecchi, Med. Rom. Pl. 5, 1—Cohen, 43, 
Florence. 

18 Gnecchi, Pl. 5, 2, Berlin. 

19Gnecchi, Pl. 5, 7; not in Cohen, Budapest. 

20 Cohen, p. 419, 38 and p. 498, 47. 

21 Cf. Jameson Cat. II, Pl. xiv, Nos. 309, 
313 for these types of auret. 






NUMISMATIC 2 






































Pieters P11 O AR D 





22Its obverse, head of Maximianus Her- 
culius in the lion’s scalp is of the same die as 
that of another medallion of this Emperor, 
also from the O-Sz6ony find, with different re- 
verse type (Num. Zeit. 1891, Pl. IV, 3, 4) and 
this latter reverse appears on a third medallion 
of Herculius from the same find, with the in- 
scription Virtuti Augg. V. et IIII cos. (ibid. 
Pl. viii, 1) which proves that all three were 
struck in 293, year of the fifth consulship of 
Diocletianus and the fourth of Maximianus. 

23Cf. also W. Kubitschek, Der Schatzfund 
von Arras, Num. Zeit. 1924, p. 86 ff. 

24J. Maurice, Rev. Num. 1904, PD. 72. 

Cf. further, the article by Col. Voetter, 
Herculi and Iovi, Num. Zeit. 1901, for coins 
of the members of the tetrarchy on which the 
Jovian and Herculian titles and symbols occur. 
A series from the Roman mint bears in the 
exergue the following: Diocletianus, P- 
thunderbolt; Maximianus, S-club; Chlorus, T- 
club; Galerius, Q-thunderbolt. A gold medal- 
lion formerly in the Paris cabinet had as re- 
verse, Iovio et Herculio, with the two Em- 
perors, Diocletianus and Maximianus, sacri- 
ficing at a tripod, and, above, Jupiter and 
Hercules on an altar, holding, respectively, a 
thunderbolt and a club. A bronze medallion 
(Cohen, p. 481, No. 41) bears the confront- 
ing busts of Diocletianus and Maximianus, 
and on the reverse, Moncta Iovi et Hercuh 
Augustorum duorum, with a figure of Moneta 


AND MONOGRAPHS 








oe 











36 FOUR MEDALLIONS 











between Jupiter and Hercules. Constantius 
and Galerius, as Caesars, each issued an iden- 
tical reverse type, the Emperor on horseback 
(Cohen, 306 and 215) with respective inscrip- 
tions, Virtus Herculi Caecsaris and Virtus Iovi 
Caesars. 

25 Gnecchi, Med. Rom., Pls. 50, 2, 3; 61, 3; 
63,2, 93 80, 2-53. 108, 6 pagmc: 

26Later bronze medallions repeat this type 
with a different inscription, such as Saeculum 
Novum—Ludi Saeculares, Philip, Jr., Gnecchi, 
Pl. 108, 9; Philip; Sr, ,Guecehie rca 

27Commemorated on an aureus from the 
hoard, Ratto, No. 391. 

28 Cf. the type of the two Emperors, Diocle- 
tianus and Maximianus Herculius, sacrificing at 
an altar, with Votis X and Votis Decennalibus 
on small bronze issues of these Emperors, C. p. 
475, 532, and p. 562, 668. 

29 A small bronze of Galerius, as Caesar, 
C. 235, with the inscription Votis X has, as 
reverse, the traditional type, Galerius, laureate, 
clad in the toga, sacrificing at a lighted altar, 
but there is no corresponding aureus recorded 
in Cohen. 

30 Also, similar types in Arethuse, Pl. viii, 
Onc 

31 Op. cit. Pl. viii, 9. 

32 Op. cit. Pl. viii, 4, 3; 








NUMISMAT DOS 





PLaTE I 


ARRAS HOARD MEDALLIONS 





Constantius Chlorus—Galerius Maximianus 








ARRAS HOARD MEDALLIONS 





Constantius Chlorus 


PLATE 


II 





ARRAS HOARD MEDALLIONS Prats III 








Constantius Chlorus 





——— 


i Sec ete aN SS 
4 4 _— 
: . 


ARRAS HOARD MEDALLIONS 


PLATE IV 





Medallion of the Tetrarchy 





NumisMAtTic Notes AND MonoGRAPHS 





1. Sydney P. Noe. Coin Hoards. 1921. 47 
pages. 6 plates. 5o0c. 

4. Howland Wood. The Mexican Revolu- 
tionary Coinage 1913-1916. 1921. 44 > 
pages. 26 plates. $2.00. 

6. Agnes Baldwin. Five Roman Gold Me- 
dallions, 1921. 103 pages. 8 plates, 
$1.50. 

7, Sydney P. Noe. Medallic Work of A. A. 
Weinman. 1921. 31 pages. 17 plates. 


$1.00. 

8, Gilbert S. Perez. The Mint of the Philip- 
pine Islands. 1921. 8 pages. 4 plates. 
50c. 

9. David Eugene Smith, LL.D. Computing 
Jetons. 1921. 70 pages. 25 plates. 
$1.50. 

10. Edward T. Newell. The First Seleucid 

Coinage of Tyre. 1921. 40 pages. 8 

plates. $1.00. 

arrold_E.Gillingham. French Orders 

1922. 110 pages. 35 















Gold Dollars of 1858. 
2 plates. 50¢. 

Pre-Mohammedan Coin- 
ndia. 1922. 56 pages. 


‘ ‘Hammbelos I of Chara- 





NumisMATIC Notes AND MoNnoGRAPHS 


16. 


17. 


18. 


19. 


nT aaaty. 


(Continued) 

Howland Wood, Commemorative Coinage 
of United States. 1922. 63 pages. 7 
plates. $1.50. 

Agnes Baldwin. Six Roman Bronze Me- 
dallions. 1923. 39 pages. 6 plates. 
$1.50. 

Howland Wood. Tegucigalpa Coinage of 
1823. 1923. 16 pages. 2 plates. soc. 
Edward T. Newell. Alexander Hoards— 
II. Demanhur Hoard. 10923. 162 

pages. 8 plates. $2.50. 


Harrold E, Gillingham. Italian Orders of _ 


Chivalry and Medals of Honor. 1923. 
146 pages. 34 plates. $2.00. 


. Edward T. Newell. Alexander Hoards— 
III. Andritsaena. 1924. 39 pages. 6 


plates. $1.00. 
C. T. Seltman. A Hoard from Side. 1924. 
20 pages. 3 plates. $1.00. 


R. B. Seager. ae Cretan Coin Hoard. 1924. 


55 pages. 12 plates. $2.00. 

Samuel R. Milbank. The Coinage of 
Aegina. 1925. 66 pages. 5 plates. 
$2.00. 


Sydney P. Noe. A Bibliography of Greek ae : 


Coin Hoards. 1925. 275 pages. $2.50. 


. Edward T. Newell. Mithradates of Par- 
thia and Hyspaosines of Characene. 


1925. 18 pages. 2 plates. soc. © 
Sydney P. Noe. The Mende (Kaliandra) 
Hoard. 1926. 73 pages. 10 plates. 
$2.00. Bia ath alt 





